Chapter 42: Arcane Gates (part 1)

“Let me join the school team?”

In Holy Dawn Academy, Belo stood facing Carter at a corner of the forest of huge trees.

“I can't even condense arcane particles. Why is it you think I have the strength to join the team?”

“Even during the few months you were in the infirmary, you still snuck out to train at night and even drilled a hole in the Beast Training Field's wall. You have half a year's worth of training time on Ayrin and the others. According to my expectation and that of a few elite teachers, if you start a special training today, it's possible with the current state of your body for you to condense arcane particle before the qualifiers begin.” Carter looked into Belo's eyes, saying in all seriousness, “Moreover, you can already transform when the moon's up, thanks to your own training. If you can achieve autonomous transformation, your strength will be higher than Korin and the rest, to the point it'll be possible for you to use secret skills only usable by arcane masters with two open arcane gates.”

“So it turns out you're planning to make me condense arcane particles and achieve autonomous transformation at the same time, then have me use arcane skills after I transform.” Light flashed on Belo's glasses. “It's going to be especially difficult to meet these two conditions at the same time in such a short frame already. As to grasping arcane skills only usable by arcane masters with two open arcane gates, I can only start learning them after I master autonomous transformation. The possibility seems really too low.”

Carter watched the presently extremely cool-headed Belo, and nodded. “As long as you're willing to join the team, we're going to try no matter how small the possibility is.”

“Alright, I'll join the team.”

Belo's words made Carter blank out for a second.

After Rinloran's blunt rejection, he didn't expect Belo to accept in such a straightforward manner.

Belo threw him a glance just as he was slightly blanking out, and added, “I have a condition though.”

Carter asked, somewhat curious, “Which condition?”

“I want to enter the Beasts Enclosure and conduct special training.”

“What!”

Carter's stare latched onto Belo's eyes with disbelief, greatly taken aback. He clearly remembered Liszt saying that Belo's grave injury from last time was due to him sneaking inside the Beasts Enclosure.

“I don't know what kind of special training you have in store for me, but looking at your reaction, you're probably not planning on making me fight the monsters inside the Beast Enclosure.” Belo pushed his glasses, held Carter's eyes, and said, “For those with beastmen blood, they progress fastest when fighting monsters and rare beasts, because our ancestor beastmen living in the Huge Magic Jungle had to face all kinds of monster and rare beast from the moment of their births. Only in such similar environment is it possible to awaken the power of beastmen bloodlines as fast and as thoroughly as possible.”

“No need to mention the Beast Training Hall.” After a slight pause, Belo went on to say, “These trashes who don't have much of their bestial nature left are totally useless when it comes to awakening the power of my bloodline. Only the beasts and monsters raised inside the Beasts Enclosure are able to let me reach the state you spoke of.”

“But the Beasts Enclosure is a venue for real fights, it's only for genuine battlemasters who already passed the test... It's really too dangerous for someone like you.” Carter watched Belo, a little speechless, “Moreover, since you want to simulate as much as possible the beastmen's living environment during the era of the War of the Dragons, we'll certainly not be able to stay by your side. If that were the case, you'd be putting your life in genuine danger.”

“If you don't have the courage to stake your life away, what's the point of coming to school, what's the point of pursuing your dreams?” Belo turned away, not looking any longer at Carter. His eyes burned with a strange unprecedented flame, filled with resolve and hatred that were difficult to put into words.

“These words should be those of a teacher exhorting their students. I didn't expect a student to say them to a teacher instead, today.” Carter took a deep breath as he watched Belo's back, thinking, “What on earth gave you so much ambition, so much determination to fight?”

…

“Special training? Belo went with teacher Carter on a special training?”

“Teacher Huston, why don't you let me go and participate in teacher Carter's special training as well?”

“Teacher carter is an elite teacher, his special training must be really terrific. I should be able to progress faster too if I could join teacher Carter's training?”

“Teacher Huston, can't you talk to teacher Carter and let me participate in passing in his special training?”

“...”

Afternoon. After Carter came to find Huston, then finding out from Huston's mouth that the reason Belo didn't come to Huston's class was because Carter was going to arrange a special training for him, Ayrin circled Huston round and round, firing his questions nonstop.

Almost every freshman was struck speechless.

The Notebook Teacher Huston was someone people were glad to stay away from as far as they could, but Ayrin actually seemed to be entirely unaware of Huston's treacherousness and dreadfulness, acting very intimate with teacher Huston.

Huston was also struck speechless by Ayrin's questions.

Saying to his face that teacher Carter was an elite teacher, saying that participating in Carter's special training would make him progress faster. These questions were simply open slaps to the face.

He really couldn't hold it in anymore after a while, and had no alternative but to say in an annoyed tone, “I'm not Carter, why would I know the reason he doesn't let you participate in the special training. If you want to participate you just go and ask him, why are you asking me.”

“Don't tell me ordinary teachers don't even have the right to offer a suggestion to elite teachers?” Ayrin shot back, very disappointed.

“I...” Huston felt that his face had been stepped on once again. He was seized by the urge to spit out blood.

“Teacher Huston.”

A loud quivering yell suddenly rang inside this clearing inside the Thinker's Stone Forest.

“Moss?”

Everyone turned around in surprise and discovered the one who spoke was the Moss who'd skipped school for the day. Now there was no telling where this red-haired kid came from; he looked as if he'd been fished out from a river.

Huston looked blankly at Moss, uncertain what was it Moss wanted.

“I skipped your class for a day, you have to punish me.”

The somewhat pale-looking Moss shouted, “Whatever freakish trick you've got, use them all on me! Don't take pity on me just because I'm a freshman!”

“Here comes another madman.” Huston suddenly felt his vision go black.

“Hey, why does your fighting spirit look especially strong today?” Ayrin asked Moss, actually pretty excited.

“Today I saw Golden Lion Academy's Stingham challenge Iron Forest Academy's team. That Wilde from Iron Forest Academy used the Materialization skill “Dual Blue Wasp Swords,” and also used a secret skill that let him continuously teleport, but Stingham still beat him in a single move. That Ferguillo looked like he's able to foresee his opponent's moves, but he still only fought to a draw with Stingham.” Moss' gaze didn't stop on Ayrin but stayed on Huston instead, seeming to cry for help. “Teacher Huston, you have to find a way to remind Chris and the others, they have to find an answer for them. Otherwise, even if we beat Divine Shield Academy, we'd still have no way to defeat these two schools.”